Hick’s Replica
Theory, H.H
Price’s DreamWorld
Mr. DeZilva
John Hick’s Replica Theory
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John Hick’s (1922 - ) Replica Theory stems from
his concept on the Irenaean Theodicy (soulmaking concept, and our life now is simply a
test for a later life)
Replica Theory is the theory that an identical
recreation of a person means, in fact, being
regarded as the same person – it can be seen
as an extension of resurrection or reincarnation
Hick’s soul-making concept implies the need for
life after death, so that our souls can continue
to progress and we can have a retrospective
opinion on our actions and decisions
Hick continued
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believed that the body and soul are
inseparable; when the individual dies,
God creates a replica of the individual in
another world (this is due to God’s
Omnipotence)
 We cannot achieve our true potential in
this life, and thus, need the afterlife
Hick’s Example
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Example: someone who ceases to exist at place A
comes into existence at place B.
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The person in place B simply disappeared from
place A and reappeared in place B. It is not a
spatial transition, just a reappearance. (I.e
someone who dies in London may appear as a
replica in New York)
There is continuity of memory, or bodily features,
habits. The person is conscious of the transition, but
would not understand how they came to be in a
different place.
Hick believes that a person is an everlasting
psycho-physical unity, therefore the body is a
necessity
Hick Continued
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Hick rejects the traditional doctrine of an
eternal hell, because it is incompatible with
belief in a God of love
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This belief was more of a development for social
control and using fear to encourage people to
act in a particular way
Just because you were a member of another
religion, Hick doesn’t believe that God would
prevent people from an opportunity of an
eternal life – everyone has the capacity to
continue developing their soul
Criticism to Hick
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Brian Davies: There is still a difference
between the self and the replica of the self
(i.e. the replica doing something in 5 minutes
is not the same thing as the current self doing
something in 5 minutes)
Jesus’ death is pointless if Hick truly believes
that any religious believer can attain Heaven
in their afterlife
If we are constantly replicated, and will
eventually get to Heaven, where is the
incentive to become a better person?
Criticism continued
 Disembodied
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Existence after death
Might it be possible for us to survive without
bodies?
Swinburne: We can imagine a situation where
we could exist without a body (and if we can
imagine it, then it is coherent as a concept
We have bodies, not we are bodies
Consciousness could potentially exist on its
own, without the body (mind/body problem)
H.H. Price (1889 – 1984) & LAD
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Concerned with the issue of the clarity of
ideas about survival after death
IF the whole idea of survival after death is
something we cannot possibly imagine, then
there is no point in taking discussion of
evidence for or against it any further
With that said, Price deems that LAD is
conceivable via disembodied existence
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Compares it to that of a dream – not bound by
time or space, but a world made up of mental
images that we have had and can have
Price continued
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People could potentially have mental images
after death that resembled physical sensation
and felt as though they had identities – this
would be enough to qualify as a “life” after
death
This image/dream-world for Price would be a
result of the experiences we have had, and
may be pleasant or unpleasant
This suggests a subjective afterlife  we may
have people in our dreams, but they might
not have us in theirs.
Criticisms of H.H Price
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Not consistent with traditional Christian teaching or
any other world religion, for that matter) – directly
contradictions Resurrection and Reincarnation
There is no contact with ultimate reality or with God
 no judgment, no eternal life.
This concept is tough to apply to babies or people
with insufficient mental processes (incapable of
memories, desires, etc.)
Hick  humans are social creatures, and this
thought puts humans in a non-social state. There is
no genuine contact with one another.